Brazil’s deal for Israeli howitzers ‘frozen’ over Gaza war

SANTIAGO, Chile — 5 months after the Brazilian Military introduced its resolution to purchase howitzers from Israel’s Elbit Techniques, the mission stays suspended over Brazilian President Inazio “Lula” da Silva’s criticism of Israel’s actions towards Hamas in Gaza.

In line with army sources in Brasilia, who spoke to Protection Information on situation of anonymity to debate inner deliberations, the mission stays “frozen” however not formally canceled.

“President da Silva has signed no govt order, neither to cancel the procurement of ATMOS 2000 nor for reopening the tender to pick and negotiate one other answer”, one supply stated.

The federal government in Might picked Elbit to ship 36 ATMOS 2000 self-propelled howitzers in a deal value $210 million.

The sources stated that each the Minister of Protection, Mr. José Múcio Monteiro, in addition to the Military chief, Gen. Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva, are working to unlock the mission. They hope to influence the left-wing president to proceed with the deal, which would offer two howitzer samples for testing.

Army officers consider choosing one other vendor would improve the delay and have a adverse impression on a number of native firms, which have signed agreements with Elbit to take part within the manufacturing of components and the ultimate meeting of the weapons.

Officers at Brazil’s Ministry of Protection and the Military didn’t return a request for remark.

The choice to acquire ATMOS 2000 capped a young course of for the service’s VBCOAP program, quick for armored self-propelled howitzer in Portuguese. The opposite distributors competing underneath the tender have been France’s KNDS with the Caesar, an alliance between Slovak Konštrukta Protection and the Czech Excalibur with Zuzana 2, and China’s NORINCO with the SH-15.

In the meantime, tensions between Colombia’s authorities and Israel, additionally fueled by the Gaza warfare, have had no impact thus far on an order for 18 Atmos 2000 value $102 million, positioned early in 2023 by the South American nation.